Chapter Text
“You always go out.” Leyley pouted, leaning against the doorframe of her mother and father’s bedroom, watching Renee put in a pair of earrings she’d dug out of the couch cushion earlier that same day. Funny how the date seemed to have been decided after she’d found them.
“And yet, you always find a reason to complain before I leave.” Renee sighed, trying to hide her thinly veiled patience behind a furrowed brow. “Ashley, for once, just be agreeable, don’t give your babysitter a hard time.”
“That depends on them .” She sneered, grinding one socked foot into the hardwood floor.
That’s when her father finally piped up, after a sharp throat clearing from Renee. “Look sweetie, if you won’t do it for the sitter, do it for your mother and I. Don’t we deserve a night out?”
Why her father thought that would change her mind was beyond Ashley. It wasn’t like they ever went out of their way for her. Instead of even bothering with a reply, she just sighed, turning on her heel to leave. It wasn’t like she could change their minds anyway.
Ashley stayed in her room, rolled up in her blanket, trying to sulk long enough for someone to come and check on her. Sure, maybe it hurt a little when her mother didn’t even stop to say goodbye, only to let in the sitter. Ashley didn’t need them though. She didn’t need anyone. Not her parents, not her shitty friends, not this stupid babysitter.
“Ashley, I take it?”
When she heard his voice, Ashley peeked up, unraveling herself from the blanket burrito she’d made, short hair now mussed. Her eyes fell on the tall boy who leaned against her door frame, hunching a bit from his usual height. He was older, at least fifteen or sixteen. Choppy black hair and heavily lidded green eyes that looked like emeralds, clad in a black sweater and ripped jeans, he waited as if asking for permission to invade her privacy further. And Ashley was already tongue tied. He seemed to notice.
“I’m Andrew, nice to meet you.” the boy flashed a small easy grin, nudging himself off the entrance and further into her room before she could even offer. “What’s with the face?”
Ah, Right. She was supposed to be upset about this. Immediately closing her mouth, she shook her head. Trying to appear tougher than she felt. “Nothing, I’m just sick of everyone ditching me all the time. We moved to this stupid town, and now I'm just supposed to get okay with it.”
“That sounds shitty.” He replied, poking around her room. Pictures of Ashley and her friends thumb tacked to random parts of the wall, the pink glass bunny figurine someone had given her when she was still a baby, engraved with her first and last name in swoopy black ink.
“It is shitty.”
That earned a snort from Andrew, his eyes glinting with entertainment. “Jesus, you got a mouth.”
Ashley felt her cheeks heat up as she leapt to defend herself. “I was just repeating what you said!”
“Yeah but when I say it, I’m not going to be grounded from TV for a week.”
Ashley rolled her taffy-colored eyes, fighting against herself to hide the smile a little longer. “Mom doesn’t care what I say, as long as I don’t embarrass her.”
He only smiled more, sitting himself right on the edge of her star comforter, causing a small dip in the bed. “Is that right? Could’ve fooled me, she seems so doting.”
That got Leyley to crack a smile and giggle. “Right? She’s mom of the year.”
“So you gonna stay up here all night or wanna put something on and make the best of it?”
Half an hour later, the two sat on the couch, each a plate of fish sticks on their laps. Andrew suggested grilled cheeses, Leyley insisted fish sticks were quicker and tastier. Ultimately, she won out.
“So, what are you allowed to watch? Cartoons?” Andrew asked, idly flicking his bic.
“I can watch other shows too!” Ashley scoffed indignantly, crossing her arms. “I like scary movies.”
“Yeah, okay. No way your parents actually allow you to watch those.”
“I told you, they don’t care!” She insisted, snatching the remote out of his hand. “Look, my dad still has one rented! He let me stay up late and watch it with him last week.”
Technically, she had pretended to be asleep, and by the time the blood splatter had started, her father had fallen asleep on the couch, forgetting Ashley was even there. Still the best bonding she had with him to date.
Andrew hummed, considering it. Green eyes flicked to the clock, then back to the television box. As if silently debating how much of a fight he was willing to put up. “Fine. But if I get in trouble, I’m throwing you under the bus.”
“Fine by me!” She chirped, scurrying over to put the movie disc in.
It didn’t take long at all for the two of them to be cuddled up, fish sticks long forgotten. LeyLey couldn’t help but steal the occasional glance at the older boy who watched on, unimpressed. When he caught her staring, he quirked up a thick black brow, nodding to the movie. She may have been more embarrassed, had he not been so quick to speak up.
“You actually like this crap?”
“Screw you! It’s good! This is my favorite part!”
Some actor covered in blood, hands up in a display of innocence, quivered behind the screen as a slick grinned killer came on screen, rhythmically drumming a bat in his hand. The poor victim blabbered some last-minute prayer to save himself before the bat hit him in the head, ending with a sickening squelch and prop brains splattered on the ground. Ashley looked like she could swoon then and there.
“Oh my god, you were serious.” Andrew murmured, chuckling when Ashley turned to him, partially incredulous.
Drawing her legs up to her chest, Ashley rested her chin on her knees, as if to curl small enough to sink into the couch entirely. “It’s a good movie. You just have bad taste.”
“Yeah,” he snickered “That’s gotta be it.”
Silence fell over them again. Andrew eyed his pager, and Ashley took the chance to nuzzle further into his sweater not so subtly. It smelt like tobacco and something woody and soft that Ashley couldn’t be bothered to recall the name of. It made her feel all dizzy and fluttery inside.
Then, out of the blue. “Ashley, you ever been kissed?”
Leyley felt her face go red, all the way to her hairline. She never kissed anyone, except maybe her mom and dad when she was saying goodbye. After a beat, she shook her head, not meeting Andrew’s gaze. How could she? He probably had hundreds of kisses with a bunch of stupid girls who didn’t even deserve it. And yet she found herself yearning to be one of those stupid girls now.
“No…some of my friends have, with boys at recess, but I don’t like any of them.” She replied after a beat. “They all think I’m too weird.”
That got Andrew to hum. A sound that reverberated through his body, enough that Leyley could feel the slightly melodic baritone against the boy’s chest. Idly, his hand found her hair, threading his fingers through her short strands, as if to detangle the mess she hadn’t cared about until that very moment.
“I don’t think you’re weird.” He finally spoke, after allowing a pregnant pause to fall between them. “Want me to give you one?”
Ashley peeked up at him after the comment, pink eyes flitting to meet his. She pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to think over the clamouring noise of her little heart thrumming hard in her chest. She nodded, sitting up a little more as if to level his gaze with her own. He still looked down at her, but for once, didn’t laugh. He just patiently waited for her answer, jade eyes boring into her every thought and emotion it seemed.
“Yeah. I do.”
Without another world, he cupped her round cheek, thumb tracing the flush that refused to settle. LeyLey felt her stomach drop, like she was going over a rollercoaster loop, unprepared, but too late to bail out now. She tried to shut her eyes the same way she saw ladies do in movies, or when her mom stole a kiss from her father. She could hear Andrew huff, barely stifling a chuckle. His hand moved down from her cheek and found her shoulders, his grip warm. She would’ve protested had he not been so quick to rub his thumb comfortingly along her shoulderblade.
“Easy. You’re shaking like a leaf. Just…take a breath, okay?”
She cracked open an pink eye, seeing the boy still looking at her with something akin to tenderness. Not that maliciousness that seemed to tear at her when she was at her most vulnerable, no, he just smiled softly, with that heavy lidded gaze, still holding her cheek.
Inhaling through her nose, Ashley took a deep breath, the same way everyone told her to do when she used to get so angry, she’d forget to breathe. She felt Andrew shift slightly to face her more directly, then his lips met hers. It was clumsy, not something chaste and simple. He swiped his tongue along her lips eagerly, the sensation making Ashley shudder. It felt good, his hands holding her where he wanted her, his own lips desperate and hungry against hers, teeth clumsily knocking against her own.
When they broke apart, breathless, Ashley opened her eyes to meet the boy’s eyes, her lips feeling tingly, head spinning.
“Good?” he asked, as Ashley felt his fingers trace along her overall belt loops. When he moved his hand to her hip, she didn’t know. Still, she nodded, lips pursed carefully, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make her feel so inexperienced.
“Good.” She finally conceded after a moment, giving another jerky nod. They sat in silence, staring at one another for a minute, before Ashley couldn’t stand his gaze boring into her anymore, and tucked herself right back against his shoulder, clearing her throat like she could will herself to break the tension.
Moment broken, Andrew’s hand moved away from her hip, instead twirling in her hair again, jade eyes fixed back on the television, face carefully stoic. Leyley glanced up at him once again, heart thrumming in her chest like she’d run a marathon. But he didn’t spare a look back this time, just exhaled through his nose.
After a minute, he swallowed, Ashley watching his adam’s apple bob up and down. “Don’t-...tell your mom and dad about that, okay?”
A coy little grin slipped onto Leyley’s lips, as if discovering some hidden weakness she could now hone in on. “ Why ?”
That got Andrew to turn and look at her, brows furrowed in concern. Ashley noticed then, that his cheeks were even in a little pink. He looked cute this way. Looking exactly how she’d felt all evening.
“ Why? ” he parroted, as if the mere question itself were stupid. Which, in fairness, Ashley knew it was. But he didn’t seem to enjoy playing the game as much as she did.
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I tell?” She cocked her head, watching any confidence the teenager had, dissolve in that moment, as his panic began to set in.
“Because…Because it was just us playing around ! We weren’t doing anything wrong, but we could get in trouble. If someone misunderstands it, or thinks I’m some kind of bad guy-”
“Relax. I won’t tell.” Leyley cooed, after a few minutes of watching the teenager get worked up over his own thoughts. It was a little bit funny, and it was rare Ashley had any sort of power to wield over people like this. “So long as you don’t snitch on me for watching the movie.”
Panicked hands ran over his face, as if suddenly regretting his impulsive decision. Ashley just sat, patiently waiting for the boy to cool down. Sure, they did something kind of bad. But other girls could kiss boys all the time. Why did it matter that Andrew just beat the boys from her grade to it?
“Deal.” He sighed eventually, looking like he’d been forced to kick a puppy. Ashley smiled. Maybe this babysitter wouldn’t be too awful.
The rest of the evening passed quietly, Leyley only wheedling the boy for one more “goodnight kiss” after she’d slipped into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. He relented far too quickly, murmuring something under his breath about creating a monster as Ashley got under her blankets, with the few stuffed animals she still had yet to outgrow. She didn’t mind his comment too much. He was nice enough, even cupping her cheek with his warm hand again, his cologne tickling her nose. Eventually leaving little Leyley to fall asleep with butterflies fluttering in her tummy, and a new appreciation of this specific babysitter.